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Patented Oct. ll, I898. J. E. WICKHAM.

APPLIANCE FOR PRESERVING PUBLIC RECORDS.

(Application filed Oct. 12, 1896.)

(No Model.)

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PATENT JASPER E. \VIOKI-IAM, OF GLENVOOD, IOWA.

APPLIANCE FOR PRESERVING PUBLIC RECORDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 612,078, dated October 1 1, 1898.

Application filed October 12, 1896. Serial No. 608,576. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JASPER E. WICKHAM, of Glenwood, in the county of Mills, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Appliances for Preserving Public Records, of which the following is a complete specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce improved means for making up and completing into book form public recordssuch, for example, as county land records and the like. The usual method of preserving records of this character is to provide a suitable blank book and to copy therein in manuscript the matter to be preserved. It is impracticable in records of this character to successfully employ a writing-machine in the place of handwriting. For that reason, by such method, the volume of records is materiallyincreased, owing to the greater space required to accommodate the same amount of matter in manuscript than would be necessary to preserve it in type-written form. Moreover, it is the usual practice in many localities for a person or firm engaged in the title-abstract business to own a private copy of the records. It is necessary to prepare such a copy in the same manner as the original records are compiled and at great expense.

By my invention I propose to provide means for employing a type-writing machine to print upon specially-prepared sheets the complete records, preferably printing the same upon both sides of the sheet and afterward making up the sheets into symmetrical, neat, and durable book form.

By my plan press-copies or other copies of the original sheets may be made before the sheets are assembled into book form,whereby the right to make such copies may be disposed of by the custodian of the records for a valuable consideration, thus affording at the same time a source of revenue to the public and the means of securing tothe purchaser of the right at all times and at comparatively small cost an absolutely complete set of duplicate records.

It is the custom in many places for the recording officer to provide at public expense numerous record books of various forms,

which forms in manyinstances are used only useless blank pages.

By my invention no greater number of books would be required than were actually filled up, and the number of pages necessary to be employed would be only two'or three, where twelve or fifteenare now used.

If the recorder should wish to use special formsyany variety of such forms could be printed upon my' detachable sheets, thereby enabling the officer to use any form which he prefers in the same book.

My invention may be employed to contribute to the security of records in that it provides means for making duplicate copies of records, one of which, for example, can be kept open to the public, as usual, and the other preserved in a separate vault.

The applicability of my invention is not limited to the preservation of public records; but it may be used by civic or other societies for the keeping of minutes of meetings in neat and proper form, as well as for numberless uses in which facilities for making copies is a desideratum and the right to make them possesses value.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a perspective view of a partially-complete book of records prepared in accordance with my invention, showing a portion of the leaves in place and a portion of the stubs before the leaves are inserted. Fig. II- illustrates in cross-section one of the stubs and one of my leaves in juxtaposition and on a highly-magnified scale. Fig. III is a similar View of the same united as in a complete page of a book.

Referringto the figures on the drawings, 1 indicates one of my stubs, of which I bind together. in'the usual manner within a suitable cover 2 a sufficient number to constitute avolume of required thickness. Each stub, as shown on a magnified scale in Figs. II and III, is composite, being made of three separate layers 3, 4:, and 5. The intermediate layer 4 is narrower than theexterior layers, so that the latter terminate in strips or flaps 6, separated from each other by the thickness ofthe intermediate layer 4:. For insertion between the flap 6 of the respective stubs in making up a volume I provide specially-prepared sheets, of which the body part 7 is of a thickness equal to the combined 7 thickness of the united layers 3, 4E, and 5, that compose each of the stubs and of which upon one edge a narrow margin or tongue 8 is substantially equal, or nearly so, to the thickness of the intermediate layer 4 of the stub. Specially-prepared sheets of this kind may be made to order at any paper-factory.

In practice, a number of sheets having been printed with the records to be preserved are consecutively numbered as required and are inserted between the flaps of the stubs of a book into which they are to be bound in successive order. WVhen so inserted, by the employment of any suitable adhesive material, the, flaps of each stub are secured to the opposite sides of the tongue 8 or its respective sheet, and by the use of a press or other suitable means all are compressed smoothly together, so that each stub and its sheet are united to form one leaf of uniform thickness, as-shoWn in Fig. III of the drawings.

I prefer to provide the tongue of each sheet upon both sides with glue, so that by moistening it it may be readily inserted between the flaps of its stub and secured in place. The opposite inner faces of the flaps of each stub may be provided with glue instead of the tongue 8; but, as above stated, I prefer to avoid the use of glue upon the flaps, which might accidentally cohere, and to supply it instead to the separate sheets.

By my invention a book of durability, uniform thickness, and symmetrical appearance may be provided instead of the flaring wedge of leaves produced by the employment of books secured to stubs in the ordinary 11131111161.

In practice I propose to provide an ofiice with bound volumes of stubs and sheets of uniform size to correspond therewith, thereby enabling successive accumulations of records to be compiled into uniform volumes as fast as the sheets are prepared and printed.

What I claim is 1. A stub composed of intermediate and outside layers, united together, the former being narrower than the latter, and flaps upon the edges of the outside layers adapted to receive sheets between them, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a composite sheet or stub, composed of intermediate and outside layers, the latter extending to form flaps, of a sheet provided with a narrow tongue or margin inserted between, and secured to the flaps of the stub, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a composite stub composed of intermediate and outside layers, the latter constituting flaps, of a sheet of thickness equal to the thickness of the com posite stub, and a tongue or margin of thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the intermediate layer of the stub, and means for uniting the flaps to the marginor tongue, substantially as set forth.

4. A book composed of a plurality of composite stubs, comprehending, respectively, intermediate and outside layers, the latter constituting flaps upon the edges of the stubs, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a record-sheet of paper of suitable thickness provided upon one edge with an intermediate tongue or margin, substantially as set forth.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a record-sheet of paper provided with an intermediate tongue or margin on one edge thereof, and a coating of adhesive material on both sides of the tongue, substantially as specified.

In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JASPER E. WVIOKHAM.

Witnesses:

J. M. MILLER, C. M. SHARPE. 

